Ireland look to build on the feel-good factor
What a difference eight months make. Post-World Cup gloom has been primarily by the provinces. Leinster’s journey to the summit of Magners League and subsequent coronation was followed last weekend by Munster’s second Heineken Cup triumph in two years. The mindset of the Leinster and Munster players (who join up tomorrow) must now be very positive as they return for national duty and they can certainly head Down Under not in hope but with the real expectancy of a first Test win in those parts since 1979.
While Munster players will be feted in their Cork home-coming tonight, an Ireland side stocked mainly by Leinster and Ulster players and finally and belatedly by London Irish’s Bob Casey, take to the field against a southern hemisphere-dominated XV made up by six South Africans, four Australians, two New Zealanders and two English players. And there may even be an appearance by All Black Jerry Collins off the bench. Collins announced his retirement from the game yesterday, though it is likely a few northern hemisphere clubs, including Munster, will try to change his mind over the coming weeks.
With 10,000 tickets already sold and the hosts expecting a full house, interim Ireland coach Michael Bradley will hope to get Ireland’s preparations off to a positive start ahead of the two-Test tour to New Zealand and Australia. All eyes of course will be on the new centre combination of Brian O’Driscoll and Luke Fitzgerald, the latter touted as the most talented young player in the country and spoken of in the same awed tones as his partner tonight. According to the 20-year-old, the centre is where he would like to see himself in the future, and Bradley has given the Leinster pair the licence to switch — and thrill — between 12 and 13 for an expected game of open running rugby — the type of game someone like Fitzgerald and O’Driscoll will relish.
“It is fluid enough — Brian with Gordon D’Arcy worked right and left as well, so there’ll be no absolute structure on it,” said Bradley. “We’re quite excited about the potential of Luke playing in the centre but it’s going to take him a couple of games to ease into the position. It’s one area where we’ll get some kind of feed back in the next couple of weeks for sure.”
The Barbarians, coached Cardiff Blues supremo Dai Young, began their tour with an 84-10 win over a Belgium XV with former Welsh captain Gareth Thomas scoring four tries. Alfie Thomas is absent from the starting side tonight, but illuminating the backline will be London Irish fullback, Peter Hewat, Morgan Turinui who captains the side, South African centre Jaco Pretorious and one of the best fly halves in the world in Stephen Larkham.
Munster ‘s Barbarian, Federico Pucciariello, wasn’t picked but South African prop Ollie Le Roux, who helped Leinster to Magners League success, is included and scrums down alongside Sebastien Bruno and Cobus Visagie.
It’s a big night for a number of Irish players despite the fact that this friendly is a non-capped match. Bob Casey dons an Ireland senior shirt for the first time since 2000. The London Irish lock partners Malcolm O’Kelly in the second row, but, Casey, one of the top three lineout jumpers in the English Premiership is omitted from the squad that tours New Zealand and Australia and instead will captain the Churchill Cup squad in the USA and Canada .
Fermoy-born Mike Ross, who has hugely impressed Dean Richards at Harlequins, makes his Ireland senior debut in the front row alongside Rory Best and Bryan Young. It will be an Ulster half back partnership with Isaac Boss and Paddy Wallace at nine and 10, though Irish supporters will hope to see Leinster out half Jonathon Sexton come on and make his senior debut in the pivotal position. Sexton is amongst four other uncapped players on the replacement bench along with Frank Murphy, Ryan Caldwell and Tom Court.
“It will be an interesting game,” added Bradley. “The traditions of the Barbarians will be to keep the ball in play, and attack at every opportunity from every position in the pitch.If you look at Super 14 and the way that has gone in the last couple of weeks, that’s the type of rugby being played over there so they’ll give us an opportunity to contend with that type of an attack coming at us for a consistent period in a match.” The Barbarians have played Ireland on two previous occasions, winning the Peace International 70-38 in Dublin in 1996 and, four years later, winning 31-30.
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